[ferro-alloys.com] Evraz Stratcor’s production of oxides,vanadium aluminum and chemicals at Hot Springs, AR, decreased 11.7% in the second quarter to 433 mt of V compared to the first-quarter production of 491 mt but was 32% higher than production of 329 mt in the second quarter of 2012. Evraz explained that it obtained a sufficient quantity of vanadium-bearing oil residue from Venezuela to meet its anticipated needs in the second quarter, but the vanadium content of the material was lower than normal, yielding less recoverable vanadium.

 

Evraz Stratcor anticipates that vanadium output at Hot Spring will become more stable when roasted steelmaking slag becomes the primary feedstock at the end of 2013. The company is conducting a $7-million expansion at Hot Springs that will allow the plant to use roasted steelmaking slag to make specialty-vanadium alloys and chemicals (Ryan’s Notes, June 3, p1). The expansion will improve the leaching and reagent systems at Hot Springs so that the plant can process slag in addition to other feedstocks.

 

When the new facilities come onstream in late 2013, Hot Springs will be able to produce 9-million ppy of V2O5.

Evraz reported that its vanadium in slag production rose 2.4% in the second quarter to 5,473 mt compared to 5,343 mt in the year-ago quarter, primarily because of improved vanadium extraction yields at Evraz HighveldSteel and Vanadium following plant maintenance and reduction of unprocessed stock.

Evraz’s ferrovanadium production fell 15.3% in the second quarter to 3,194 mt of V compared to 3,769 mt in the second quarter of 2012. Production at Evraz’s own facility was virtually unchanged at 1,892 mt in the second quarter compared to 1,899 mt in the year-ago quarter, but FeV processed at third-party facilities sank 30.4% to 1,302 mt compared to 1,871 mt in the second quarter of 2012.

 

Evraz’s Nitrovan production fell 7% to 708 mt in the second quarter compared to 763 mt in the second quarter of 2012.